FIVB: "Kim Yeon-koung Scores 30 Points Four Times in a Single Olympic Match for the First Time"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] Kim Yeon-koung (33, Shanghai, China), the hero of the Korea-Japan women's volleyball victory, became the first player in Olympic history to score more than 30 points in a single match four times.

Kim Yeon-koung, the main scorer of the South Korean women's volleyball team, led a dramatic comeback victory with a 3-2 set score by scoring 30 points in the fourth group stage match against Japan in Pool A of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on the 31st of last month.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) highlighted on its homepage on the 1st that Kim Yeon-koung, captain of the Korean team, played a crucial role in the tremendous victory against Japan and led the team to the quarterfinals.

It further introduced that Kim Yeon-koung scored more than 30 points four times cumulatively in a single Olympics, marking the "first-ever case" in history.

Kim Yeon-koung first stepped onto the Olympic stage at the 2012 London Games, scoring 34 points against Serbia and 32 points against China.

She comfortably became the top scorer with 207 points at the London Games and was unusually selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in women's volleyball as a player from the 4th place team, rising as a world-class power hitter.

Kim Yeon-koung also scored 31 points against Japan at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.

Russia's Ekaterina Gamova holds the second most 30-point matches in the Olympics with three times, following Kim Yeon-koung.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Kim Yeon-koung ranks joint 3rd in total points with 78 points, combining 68 attack points, 8 blocking points, and 2 service points over 4 matches.